Folalumi Alaran in Abuja 

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has described the emergence of Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2026 governorship election as undemocratic.

 The group said the process that produced Oyebanji lacked transparency and internal democracy, warning that such political practices could endanger Nigeria’s democratic system.

Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the President of the coalition, Comrade Oladimeji Olatunji, described the consensus arrangement that led to Oyebanji’s adoption as “questionable and devoid of credibility.”

Olatunji said rather than allowing a transparent contest of ideas and competence, the APC leadership in Ekiti State chose to “endorse mediocrity over merit.”

He said: “We condemn and reject the outcome of the kangaroo adoption of Governor Oyebanji as the consensus candidate of the APC in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ekiti State.

“History will not forgive our silence when democracy is under threat by desperate politicians whose expediency is rooted in impunity.”

The coalition accused the Oyebanji administration of failing to deliver on key sectors such as education, healthcare, job creation and infrastructure, insisting that the state had witnessed a decline in governance.

“The negative situations in Ekiti State speak volumes of the spineless disposition of the current government in delivering democratic dividends to the people. Yet, the party leadership has opted to reward failure with automatic re-nomination,” Olatunji added.

 He also accused the state APC leadership of marginalising and humiliating other aspirants within the party, alleging that some nomination forms were discredited on false grounds.

“It is disheartening that the APC leadership in the state has gone as far as discrediting the nomination forms submitted by some aspirants, falsely alleging that their sponsors and signatories are not party members. This is unthinkable, especially when these so-called non-members were aspirants in the same party a few years ago,” he said.

According to him, such actions undermine fairness and expose the level of impunity within the party’s structure in Ekiti.

Olatunji warned that the development could have far-reaching implications for the 2026 general elections and the political fortunes of President Bola Tinubu in the state.

He said: “This sends a strong signal that the APC is not a party replete with respect for the rule of law and democratic order.”

The group called on President Tinubu to urgently intervene in the crisis and restore order within the Ekiti APC.

They urged the president to reinstate all screened-out aspirants, constitute an independent reconciliation and review panel, and ensure that future primaries are conducted in a transparent and democratic manner.

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